Friday, November 28, 2014

Black Friday, and a Recipe with Political Ties

I have only ever been shopping on Black Friday a couple of times. I am content to leave the bargain hunting to others - I just don't have the stamina! I am always thankful for our Amazon Prime membership - it so easy to order on-line, and with free two-day shipping our items are delivered right to our house! The membership fee is a bargain, compared to what we would otherwise spend in shipping fees during the year. If you have someone on your list who is really hard to buy for, an Amazon Prime membership might be the perfect gift for them!

Instead of shopping today, I am enjoying time with my family, hopefully working off a little of yesterday's caloric indulgences, and doing a little blogging. I am linking up with the Lifestyle Sistas today; they are hosting a linkup where bloggers can share recipes with five ingredients or less. Conveniently, my daughter often requests one such recipe to be included on our Thanksgiving menu, so it is the one I have decided to share.

When you serve this dish - be prepared for questions about how it got its name. It is known that Kraft first sold Pistachio Instant Pudding in the 1970's, and they marketed it with a recipe called “Pineapple Pistachio Delight.” According to a post on Serious Eats, it is thought that it was a Chicago food editor who renamed the recipe Watergate Salad; Kraft eventually adopted the name. Various ideas of why this name was chosen abound: the salad is full of nuts, the ingredients are mixed up into a bit of a mess; there is quite a coverup of the ingredients by the cool whip! My family has renamed it yet again - my daughter just refers to it as “Nixon Salad."

Whatever you call it, it is sticky and sweet - and sort of an American tradition. Here is the recipe for it that my grandmother shared with me.

Watergate Nixon Salad

Ingredients:

1 (3.4 oz) box of instant pistachio pudding

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip, thawed (regular or fat-free)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix pudding powder and crushed pineapple (do not drain) together until well blended.

2. Add marshmallows and (optional) nuts.

3. Fold in cool whip.

4 Chill at least several hours or overnight.

Serve with an open mind and full transparency, and be prepared for some political discussion!

“Nixon Salad”

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Note: In the spirit of full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links, for which I may receive compensation if any purchases are made. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely my own.